The Charge

Opening Statement

Yeah, but the rabbit got better. (sigh) After five years, Three's
Company was getting a little long in the tooth, to say the least. After the
umpteenth variation on the same old tired sex joke, after yet another reference
to the elusive Greedy Gretchen, after the one-zillionth time of watching Mr.
Furley's eyes threaten to pop out right out of his skull, I found myself hoping
-- no, begging -- for something even the slightest bit fresh.

Who knew season six would have a wild card up its sleeve?

Facts of the Case

Three's Company: Season Six contains 25 episodes (or 28, depending on
how you do the math) spread over four discs.

The Evidence

Of all the blonde roommates to ever knock on Three's Company's door,
Priscilla Barnes was my favorite. Her Terri Alden was the smart and sexy answer
to Suzanne Sommer's iconic, buxom twit, and an elegant departure from Jenilee
Harrison's gawky, giraffe-like klutz.

According to the liner notes that accompany this set, Nurse Terri was
introduced to amp up the sexual tension in the apartment (play doctor, yes?).
The producers didn't think Harrison's Cindy Snow was a likely target of Jack's
lust, and, indeed, watching the then 33-year-old John Ritter ogle and drool over
the college coed is, like, kinda creepy. And let's be honest: The first
few episodes collected here serve as an embarrassing reminder that the blandly
pretty Harrison was no match for the rest of the cast when it came to comedy. So
busy is she trying to hit her marks without upstaging her Amazonian self that
she tramples right over her punchlines. So pardon me if I don't shed a tear
during the awkward early scenes that find Ritter and Joyce DeWitt practically
shoving the youngster on her way to UCLA. That's showbiz, kid.

Enter Alden, who breathes much-needed life into this tired workhorse of a
show. As the take-no-guff nurse who unleashes an unprecedented vicious streak in
Jack before finally melting his heart (the two-part season premiere ends on a
poignant note, unusual for this series), Barnes clicks instantly with the always
likeable Ritter and the woefully underrated DeWitt. Finally, here is a third
roommate with sex appeal to spare and the smarts to know how to use it.

But Three's Company will forever be remembered as a showcase for
Ritter, and the fawning producers wouldn't have it any other way. After all,
they fanned the fire, likening Ritter to a modern-day Buster Keaton and giving
him over-indulgent comedy set pieces like his musical star turn in "Up in
the Air." For five loooooooong minutes, Ritter bounces around the set like
a kangaroo on Quaaludes, leaving two dozen extras (Look! It's Greg Brady!)
staring in slack-jawed mock amazement and the rest of us playing Spot the Boom
Mic.

That's not to deny the late Ritter's comic abilities, but simply to point
out the producers' unwillingness to rein him in every now and then. For an
example of Ritter done right, check out his deliriously silly couch cuddle with
"Dominique" in "Boy Meets Dummy." The moment is low in
concept but high on laughs. Season six could have used more of those.

If there were occasional ripples of discontent among the revolving-door
cast, as has long been reported, it's not hard to see why. With so much
attention lavished on Ritter, the show threatened to teeter off balance. So
thank goodness for DeWitt, as the unlikely straight man, who kept the show more
or less grounded throughout its eight-year run. Spunky, sharp-tongued and always
reacting to her costars, DeWitt's Janet is interesting to watch, even when she's
summoned near the end of the season to step out of character as an obnoxious,
blonde airhead in the unlikely "Janet Wigs Out."

Oh well. Give Three's Company credit for almost making it to
the end of the season without one ditzy roommate. I guess old habits die
hard.

Three's Company -- Season Six presents all episodes in their original
full-frame format with Dolby Digital Mono audio. Subtitles not included. Extras
include liner notes, an audio commentary by director Dave Powers on "Jack
Bares All," and the hour-long special "The Best of Three's
Company," hosted by Lucille Ball, who gushes over a show that "didn't
try to change the world." Hmm, Three's Company as diplomat on the
world stage? Hey, why not? According to "Laughs Around the World," the
last extra in this package, the titillating sitcom sold in Poland. Just check
out their take on "Paradise Lost," which is virtually a shot-for-shot
remake of the American version. A fascinating inclusion.

Closing Statement

Completists will want this set. All others can be content catching it on TV
Land.